22nd of December, 1993
Brooklyn is 27, Michael is 35

Brooklyn: I waited impatiently for Michael to return home. He's been gone for hours.

He was in a meeting with the Chandlers' attorney, along with his lawyers.

They were discussing a settlement; Michael took Bert's advice to settle, because he was told that if he won't, this case could last for at least five more years.

I supported his decision, even though I wanted him to be proven innocent in court. But he didn't have time to go through all that and I didn't have the heart to put him through that.

The problem was, the Chandlers wanted a lot of money.
Evan was such a greedy bastard.
It wasn't enough for him to put my husband through emotional and physical stress, he also wanted his money.
Disgusting.

The front door opened and a relieved Michael walked in.

"Well?" I asked.

"It's over. Evan got what he wanted." he answered.

I hugged him tightly, "For how much did you settle?"

"For... A lot. It doesn't matter." he looked away.

"What is a lot?" I questioned.

I knew that I was annoying him with questions because of the irritated look on his face. Still, I wanted to know.

"22 million."

"What?!" I widened my eyes. "But I thought you refused to give them more than a million!"

"I know, but Evan wouldn't take it. He kept refusing the amounts my lawyers offered. We sat with them for a few hours today until they agreed on one. I don't want to talk about anymore." he mumbled.

I watched as he walked away.

Following him to our bedroom, I couldn't help but feel useless.
He would now have to deal with critics again, that will try to bring him down.
All I could do was comfort him about it.

Michael was taking off his shirt when I entered the bedroom. He looked so drained.

"Maybe you should get some rest, Mike." I suggested.

"I will." he lied.

I sighed and walked up to him.

"I could always help, you know..." I trailed off.

I didn't hesitate to connect our lips, and he didn't pull away either.

"Mmhm, yes please." he moaned into my mouth.

I was surprised he was giving into me so quickly. Ever since he learned about the allegations he was distant. Every time something would spark up, he'd say he's not in the mood.

Michael wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer.

I pulled away to catch my breath.

"Why'd you stop?" he frowned.

"You need to sleep." I told him.

"I thought you wanted to help me."

I smirked, "I do, come cuddle."

My husband snickered. "So we have code names for sex now?"

"No, I really just want to cuddle with you." I shrugged. Taking off my pants, I got under the covers.

"Tease." he said.

~

23rd of December, 1993
Brooklyn is 27, Michael is 35

Michael: "Rise and shine, babe." I heard Brooke vaguely.

I groaned and turned to the other side.

Sleeping through an entire night made me lazy. And after everything, all I wanted to do was to be in bed.

"Michael, you have to wake up. We're gonna miss our flight." she said.

Our flight?

I opened my eyes to meet her green ones.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You're gonna start your treatment tomorrow. We said that once it's all over, we're getting you back on track, away from everything." she reminded me.

"Right." I looked away from her piercing eyes.

I knew this day would come, but I never imagined it would come so soon.

"Okay, get up and pack. We need to leave in an hour." she smiled.

I stretched, "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

~

I had no idea where my wife was planning on taking us.

All I knew is that this break was to help me recover, slowly.

Steve stopped the car in front of our private jet.
"Good luck, Mike." he said.

I nodded, grateful that he cared.

Brandon joined us as we climbed up the stairs of the plane.

Julia, along with my entire treatment team, sat in the leather chairs. I was determined to follow their instructions, to take their guidance, for my wife's sake.

I took a seat and sighed.

"How long are we disappearing for?" I asked Brooke.

"Until you're fully recovered." she answered.

"And what's our destination?"

"I told you, it's a surprise. And stop asking questions."

I rolled my eyes, "You're so annoying."

She kissed my cheek, leaned back in her seat and propped her legs on my lap.

~

Brooklyn: Six hours later, we landed in the Bahamas.

I thought it was the most perfect and peaceful place for Michael to get his full recovery.

I rented a private beach house, that was big enough for ten families.

All I wanted was for him to get better, for good.

When he heard where we were he seemed glad.

He looked amazed at everything on our way to the house.

The house itself blew me away. I didn't realize it would be that beautiful.
And there was a part of the house that was totally isolated from the rest of it, with two bedrooms.

We decided we'd take that part of the house, while the treatment team and Brandon took the bigger part.

Michael let out a calm sigh as he plopped down on the couch in the little living room, and looked outside the big glass doors at the beautiful ocean.

I smiled and placed myself on his lap.
"Could we continue where we left off last night?"

"Oh, so now you want me?" he asked, putting his hands on the small of my back.

"I always want you." I said.

He giggled and placed his lips on my collarbone.

I played with his hair while his hands roamed my back under my shirt.

He sucked on my skin, which I knew later would turn into a hickey.

"Thank you for doing this for me. I know I've put you through a lot of shit lately, and any other woman would've left me already," he whispered in my ear. "But you didn't, and I'm so grateful for that. I really am."

I felt my eyes water. Hearing him say that warmed my heart.

He leaned in to kiss me. Just before our lips touched there was a knock on the door.

Michael groaned in annoyance. I got off him to answer, but he pulled me back.

"Ignore it, they'll just go." he mumbled.

Pulling me into a hungry kiss, he took me to the bigger bedroom.

I felt his boner on my thigh as he held me close.

I heard the knocking getting louder. Being me, I just wanted to see who it was so I could tell them to go away.

I pulled away, "Just let me see who's knocking."

"Ugh, fine. But come back fast."

He squeezed my ass before pushing me towards the door.

I bit my bottom lip and laughed.

When I opened the front door, Brandon was staring down at me, looking annoyed.

"What took you so long?" he asked, shaking his head. "Anyways, we're all getting ready to eat, do you guys wanna join?"

"Um, no, we're kind of busy..." I blushed.

"He's naked in bed, isn't he?" he rolled his eyes.

"I don't know, he might be. When I left the bedroom he was still dressed."

"We just got here. Damn. Wait 'till I tell Janet." Brandon laughed, walking away.

"I don't think she'd want to hear about it!" I called.

He kept laughing and I closed the door.

I was impatient to get back to Michael. To think we haven't been sexual with each other for four months made me want him even more.

I found him in bed, the blanket only covering his probably naked bottom half.

He noticed me and shifted.
"Finally, come here." he said, offering his hand.

Instead of taking it, I stripped out of my clothes.

I hurried to get into bed with him.

Michael turned to me and kissed me again. I was completely in heaven.

~

Michael: "Oh, Mike..." Brooklyn moaned.

I smiled into her neck and kept thrusting in and out of her.

Our breathing got heavier with every second and my own moans were muffled into her skin.

She held my shoulders tightly when I came inside of her. I don't think she even realized she was sending me into pure bliss.

I kept moving until she reached her climax, then collapsed on top of her.

Brooke kissed me, making me want her again.

"I love you." she said when we pulled away.

"I love you more."

~

24th of December, 1993
Brooklyn is 27, Michael is 35

Brooklyn: I walked into the big living room of the main part of the house with Michael close behind me.

"Good morning," Brandon chirped. "Had fun last night? It sounded like you did."

"Why, are you jealous? Janet isn't giving it you?" I crossed my arms.

Michael shot me a glare. Here comes big protective brother Michael.

"I'd rather not say, I might be murdered."

Brandon disappeared into the kitchen.

"Don't bring my little sister into this, ugh." my husband whined.

"He's annoying me, I'm sorry. He's just all up in our business." I said.

"Whatever, let's just go eat. I'm starving."

As soon as we stepped into the dining room, we were attacked by Julia.

"Great, you're here. Michael, here's your schedule for the next two weeks. We're starting right after breakfast." she said, pushing a page into Michael's hand.

I scanned it from the side.

8:00 - Wake up calls for everyone. No exceptions.

8:30 - Breakfast.

9:30 - Therapy session with Julia.

10:00 - Break.

10:15 - Session with Will and Jacob.

It went on, most of the day being spent on sessions or workshops with the treatment team.

One session caught my attention. It was after lunch, at 2 PM. It was a therapy session with Julia for both me and Michael.

"Why is Brooke on here?" he asked.

"I feel like the three of us need to sit down an talk at least once a day." Julia answered, and sat down to eat.

"We're cutting some things off today, though, since it's late. Oh, and tomorrow's completely off, because it's Christmas." Jacob said.

Michael nodded and we sat down to eat as well.

~

Julia took a seat across from Michael and I, a smile covering her face.

It was the time for our session together.

The schedule idea seemed to work. It was the team's idea to give Michael a schedule, for two reasons.

The first reason: so he could arrange his day better. Outside of treatment, he would go crazy with his days. Especially when he was so caught up in the allegations.

The second reason: so he could get a good night sleep.
It was my first priority that he would let his body and mind rest after everything he's gone through.

"The first thing I'd like to talk about is the two of you. I know this might seem like couple's counseling, it's kind of like that." Julia said.

"You think we need couple's counseling?" I asked.

"No, not at all, actually. But it never hurts to sit and talk to someone, together."

Michael pulled his legs up to his chest. I could sense something was bothering him, but I couldn't tell what it was.

"Well, the first thing I want to know is how you two first met. From each one of your perspectives. Michael, you start." she instructed.

"Oh, um," he cleared his throat. "I've heard about her first in '71. It was a little bit after my mother and my sisters moved to LA with us. We were on tour, I think, and mother called to check up on us. Janet got all excited that she has this best friend she met at kindergarten a year back. She wouldn't shut up about her until I finally met her.
I was sixteen and the girls were only eight. She was so cute, and we laughed about Janet, which made us connect immediately."

Julia seemed fascinated by his words.

She turned to me, "Your turn, Brooke."

"It's the same story. Janet wouldn't shut up about her big brother Mike, and always said I have to meet him. Every time him and his brothers came on TV we would sit and watch. Then we met, and that was it."

"Janet seems to be involved a lot in this relationship, from what I know and heard." Julia wrote something down in her notebook.

Michael smiled, "If it wasn't for her, this would've never happened."

"Well, yeah, but give yourself some credit, Mike. Janet didn't set us up with each other, it was all you." I told him.

"What do you mean by that, Brooke?" Michael's therapist asked.

I turned my attention back to her. She looked like she was trying to read me.

"He kissed me first. Michael used to teach me how to danc-" I started, but Michael cut me off.

"I didn't teach you. I just gave you a push, you already had what it takes to be a dancer."

"Whatever you want to call it, babe. Anyways, we had another thing that connected us. Michael had a few free days each week, and one of them was spent on our lessons. Sometimes a whole day would just be waisted on talking, I loved talking to him, as a great friend. It came to a point when we talked way more than Janet and I did. I would see him a lot, too. But then he got busy, you know, working on his solo career. So we drifted apart for a while."

"And you were dating Ross." he mumbled.

"Yeah, that's a part of it."

Julia listened to our conversation, quietly. "Ross is your ex?"

I nodded, and she wrote it down.

"Were you jealous, Michael?"

"Yes," he admitted, blushing. "But I didn't know it. I told myself I had to give her space because of school and the fact that she was dating. Plus, I got busy all of a sudden, so it was harder to go see her. Later I realized how much I really miss her. I talked to Elizabeth Taylor about it, and she suggested that I might have feelings for her."

I looked at him, confused. I never knew he talked to Liz about me.

"Keep telling her the story." he said, looking away.

"Okay, um, Ross and I broke up in the beginning of '84, and a few months later Michael shows up at my house again for a dance lesson. I was confused because he didn't talk to me for almost two years. He said he missed me. So we go up to my room, and I asked what's the real he reason he came."

Julia held up her hand, "Michael, I want you to tell it now."

"I came to confess my feelings for her. But I ended up kissing her. She had doubts, especially about how Janet would react. But it worked out, my sister got all excited that we were going out."

I laughed at the memory of telling Janet I had a date with Michael.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," Julia smiled and changed the subject. "I believe that after you've known each other for so long you trust one another very much, right?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I scrunched my eyebrows.

"Michael told me in our private session earlier that he's scared you don't trust him anymore, after what he did." she said.

"That's not true."

"Michael, why don't you tell Brooke how you feel?"

"Do I have to?" Michael grunted.

Julia nodded.

He looked at me, "I've let you down. There's absolutely no reason for you to trust me anymore. It doesn't make sense to me, at all."

I looked at him, shocked. How could he think that I don't trust him?

Yes, the fact that he hid his addiction again let me down. He threw two years away, for nothing. I was disappointed for a while until I realized he wants to start rehab again.

It even made me think that he was the one who didn't trust me, since he didn't even bother to tell me he was struggling.

I took his hand and looked into his eyes.
"Don't ever think I don't trust you. You did let me down, I'm not gonna lie. But you're here, and you want this. You want to get better. I can't even start to explain how proud I am of you for doing this."

He pulled me into a tight hug.
We stayed like that for a few moments.

Julia clapped her hands, "I think we can call it a day. I'll let the other guys know."

She left the room quickly and left us alone.

"Honestly, Mike. Don't ever think like that. If anything, I should doubt your trust in me." I said.

"No, you shouldn't. I trust you with all my heart and soul." he told me, placing his lips on my forehead.

He put my hair behind my ear and gave me a long, loving, kiss.